We’re nearing the end of my How To Start Getting Into Horror series as I’ve only got a handful of entries left. But there are some big ones that need to be addressed and I want to make sure I cover them so that a burgeoning horror fan can get a well rounded experience.
For that reason, I feel it’s time we talk about a subgenre that garners a truly divided reaction from the horror community: found footage. Let’s do this, shall we?
While it would be completely wrong to state that The Blair Witch Project was the first entry into the found footage subgenre, it’s definitely one of the most notable. I remember when this came out and how brilliantly it was marketed. This was before Google was around, so searching for information was difficult and whatever could be found was scattered in bits and pieces. But what the filmmakers did that was godddamn inspired was they created fake websites that backed their story up. Everything on these sites reinforced the film, giving it the sense that it actually was real.
In today’s day and age, where a quick Google search or checking on Snopes can lead to all information you could possibly want, it’d be impossible to trick people so easily. That’s the problem that Paranormal Activity faced. Pictures of Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston on red carpet premieres were plentiful, so we knew it was fake before many of us even had the chance to see it. But not Blair Witch. And that, in my opinion, is why it remains as being one of the most unsettling found footage horror films for many people.
Speaking of Paranormal Activity, it’s hard to talk about this subgenre without giving credit to this film for giving a fresh shot of excitement and fear. Audiences were becoming increasingly sick and tired of the “torture porn” films that were coming out in droves and suddenly this film came out of the indie world and rocked theaters to the core.
I was lucky to be living in a town that was part of the original 13 theater limited release, so I got to stand in a line of thousands of people and somehow make it in. I’ve got to tell you, watching Paranormal Activity in a packed theater was absolutely incredible. The fear was so thick and palpable and it was such a joy to be a part of a crowd that was that into the film. It’s one of my favorite movie-going experiences.
Much like after the release of Saw and Hostel, the years that followed Paranormal Activity saw a glut of similarly styled films, many of them well below the quality we deserve. But a few gems did pop out and one that stood out to me was The Taking Of Deborah Logan.
What I loved about that film was that it addressed how seemingly every found footage film needed a priest or some sort of religious figure to assist them. But in The Taking Of Deborah Logan, the priest flat out says that he can’t help and that she needs mental therapy. I nearly cheered at that moment because I was so thrilled they didn’t go down that route. And it ended up being a seriously unsettling and genuinely frightening film! Plus, that bleak ending, right?
So, The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and The Taking Of Deborah Logan. Three films that I think are great places to get a feel for how the trend really began, where it went, and where it should go.
If you have any suggestions for newcomers, please let me know in the comments!
Check out the rest of our How To Start Getting Into Horror series.